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Huddersfield Town are preparing for their first season in the Premier League

How do clubs choose where to travel?

It is a tough balancing act between getting the players ready for that new campaign and exploiting sponsorship opportunities, says football finance expert Rob Wilson.

“Last year, China seemed to be the significant market and a lot of teams focused on that – but the North American market is the one the teams have been looking at this summer, largely because of sponsorship values,” Wilson told BBC Sport.

“The clubs will be looking to pick up affluent sponsors and there is a nice alignment between American brands and sponsorship deals for the clubs to exploit.”

Wilson, from Sheffield Hallam University, says it is difficult to get the right pre-season training while reaping the financial benefits of a tour.

“The choice of friendlies in Germany and Austria is about season preparation being at the forefront of clubs’ minds, rather than looking for sponsorship deals,” he said.

“Arsenal have always been very good at that in the past – putting football first. Others are much more focused on commercial drive.

“When you look at Manchester United, they are heavily sponsored by American companies.

“It also ties in with the increased interest in MLS. The infrastructure is already in place, the stadiums are there and fans’ interest is there. Clubs already have associations with football in America.

“In the Far East it is more difficult to sort out, logistically, so clubs have to work much harder to make a success of a tour.”

He says the focus has switched slightly this summer.

“Clubs do tend to work on a cyclical basis – there was a lot of activity in the Far East last year. I was half expecting teams to do some work in Japan this summer, especially a club like Chelsea, who have their Yokohama shirt deal.,” he adds.

“But maybe it is because China are concentrating much more on the Chinese Super League, so there is a bit of a conflict and the tours would not get as much attention.

“In terms of other countries – such as Africa – there are problems of infrastructure. It is getting to the point, though, where a club might need to do something different.”

What impact does long-haul travel have on players?

Former QPR midfielder Bradley Simmonds is a fitness coach to players including former Chelsea and England captain John Terry and Arsenal forward Theo Walcott. He says there are some benefits to the long-distance travelling.

“Lots of teams go to different countries to experience playing against different sides, so if they come to play in the Champions League they are used to playing against a range of top sides,” he said.

“Obviously the travelling is going to take its toll, but the staff at these clubs know what they’re doing. Jet lag can cause a problem, but coaches and medical staff will make sure the players get enough rest.

“You can become stiff during long-haul flights especially after training, so your body needs to recover. But these players travel first class on flights so they will be able to stretch their legs and get rest.”

While the clubs might be looking at the financial benefits, Simmonds says the players will be solely focused on their fitness.

“They’ll be looking to get lots of game time, even players who may not play regularly during the season will play in as many games as possible.

“It’s all about strength and conditioning, making sure the core and glutes have been worked on.

“They’ve had four or five weeks off so they need to get the brain switched on. The players that have been drinking or not looking after their body quite as much as maybe they should need to get back into it.”